Switched
by T.C.Rose
Summary: Cloud and Tifa are acting very strange, but no one knows why. Can they save themselves from Shuyin's twisted scheme, or will they die the death that Lenne and Shuyin were fated to die?
1. Switched

Author's Note: This is, I think, a one-shot fan fiction. I'm not sure, it might be two chapters. As you all know, I'm in a depressed mood, so I figured I would continue to write depressing chapters. Enjoy!  
  
  
  
She looked down at herself. What was she wearing? She didn't own clothes like this. She wore a dark blue halter top blouse with light blue ruffles around the collar and front seem, down to the hem, which showed her belly. Her skirt was black and pleated, and see through to her black panties. Along her left side was a ruffled scarf-like material that stretched to her left knee. Her arms were adorned with purple sleeves detached from her blouse. A string was tied at each end to hold them on her arms. The string at her upper arm, above her elbow, criss-crossed and wrapped around her arm to her shoulder. She was wearing brown leather knee- high boots. Her hair lay straight down to her sides, out of its usual low ponytail. The hair behind her ears was wrapped in braids and threaded into different colored beads, hanging over her shoulder.  
  
She couldn't believe it when she looked at herself. She felt uncomfortable, but judging from the way people were looking at her, she knew she must look beautiful. She kind of like the look, though she didn't know how she got that way. She walked down the street, noticing for the first time the strange city she was in.  
  
There were lights everywhere. Oddly shaped buildings with windows and lights all over them. The city was a thousand times greater than Midgar, but she felt lost and alone. She looked around her. People were brushing past her, forcing their way through the crowded streets. Some knocked into her hard, forcing her to turn. She was still trying to figure out where she was. Finally she found a bench to sit down and collect her thoughts.  
  
She had fallen asleep and woken up...here. She looked around at all the buildings once again. She could see ships flying overhead, whizzing through the air with ease. There were people everywhere, going every which way with determination written all over their faces. She didn't know any of them, but felt a strong connection to them for some reason. Was she dreaming?  
  
She felt like she needed to go somewhere, needed to do something, but she didn't know what. Whose feelings were these? She looked around at all the faces, whirling around her like a cyclone. She was lost in a big city, and she didn't know whom to trust for answers. Her thoughts kept going back to someone. A man, with spiky blonde hair that was uneven and messy. She didn't know who he was, but he kept popping up in her mind.  
  
There was something else too. She had memories of a different life. Memories of another man with blonde spiky hair. Her boyfriend? She couldn't be sure, but she felt a much stronger connection towards him. She placed her hands on her knees and sighed, hoping for some sort of sign to tell her what to do.  
  
She looked across the street, at a mother and child. The mother was bending over listening to the child whisper into her ear. They wore such strange clothes. Clothes that she had never seen before, or at least, not that she could remember. The little girl started pointing in her direction and her mother nodded. The woman took her child's hand and led her across the street. They stopped in front of her and looked at her nervously.  
  
"Sorry to bother you miss, but...my daughter and I...we're big fans of yours and we were just wondering...could we get an autograph?"  
  
The woman looked down. Who was she? How did these people know her? She nodded in disbelief. She didn't know what name to sign. She couldn't remember her name and hopped for some sort of reassurance. She didn't want to be rude and turn them away, since they did seem to be enjoying being near her, but she didn't know what to say. She looked up at them and took out a pen as they handed her an autograph book.  
  
"Whom shall I make it out to?" She asked. The woman looked at her daughter and smiled.  
  
"Sasha, please. Oh you don't know how happy we are to finally meet you, Lenne."  
  
Lenne. Her name was Lenne. At least she knew what to sign. She felt the pen flee her body, as if it had a mind of it's own. Somehow she managed a perfect signature with her assumed name. She didn't know how she pulled it off; she had never been called that before. She finished signing and returned the book to the little girl with a nod of her head.  
  
"Oh thank you so much. This means so much to her. You're her favorite singer of all time! We have tickets to your show tonight and we can't wait!" The mother exclaimed, clasping her hands together in front of her chest.  
  
Lenne smiled. She was...a singer? She had never sung before in her life. She didn't know what was going on, but she became more afraid than ever. She watched the mother and child run back across the street to continue shopping. Where was she? Who was she? She had a show tonight, but she didn't know where. She didn't know how to sing or even what to sing.  
  
She stood up, deciding to find help. She could sense something calling her, like a building or something. It was strange, but she felt the urge to start walking. Her feet carried her through the city and to a large building. It stood as tall as the Shinra building, but twice as wide. There was a large glass dome covering the roof and it seemed to be some sort of a concert hall. She looked up at him, belittled by its massive shadow.  
  
Again her feet swept her away, walking in the front door without a word said to her. She wasn't asked for a ticket or a pass or anything. She found herself walking up a long flight of stairs, rounding a corner. There was red carpet lining her walkway. She had no clue where she was but she felt an affinity for the building. She found a door with the name 'Lenne' engraved on it with a large star below it. She opened the door and entered, being greeted by friendly faces she felt she knew. She didn't know a single name, but it felt like she knew these people who sat her down and began applying makeup to her face.  
  
  
  
He could feel himself underwater. He felt like he should be gasping for air but for some reason he was fine. He could see other people in the water with him, but he didn't know them. He swam around as they called to him, until his face hit something hard. He had swum into an invisible force field of some sort. He swam through the other people, and hit another glass wall. He was caged in. He put his hands against the glass and pressed his face against it. There were people on the other side, staring at him, like a monkey in a cage. They were sitting on bleachers cheering.  
  
He and the other men were trapped in what seemed to be a giant sphere filled with water. The other men were yelling at him and he didn't know why. They seemed angry with him as he swam, telling him to get back to his place. Where was his place? He could hear an announcer calling out his every move as if he were an idiot.  
  
"Our young star Shuyin, seems to be a bit confused. After being hit with a sleep attack by an opposing teammate he seems to have woken up with amnesia. He's swimming around the sphere like a caged animal, not knowing what to do."  
  
Shuyin? His name was Shuyin? He had never been called that before, but then again, he couldn't remember being called anything else either. He didn't know who he was or where he was or what he was doing. He looked around at the other men as they continued to yell at him to do things he had never heard of before.  
  
"Look out!" One finally said, but it was too late.  
  
He woke up to a white room. He was lying on a bed in the infirmary for injuries. The nurse was applying a cold compress to his forehead. His eye hurt a lot, and he had a pounding headache. There was a bandage wrapped around his left elbow where they had drawn blood.  
  
"That's one nasty bump." The nurse said to him. "It's not like you to get hurt out there, what happened?"  
  
He didn't know what happened. He didn't know what was going on. He sat up on the bed, feeling woozy. He sat cross-legged and bowed his head. These weren't his clothes. He had never worn anything like them before. His shirt was yellow with black and red-checkered sleeves. His collar was brown and he had on dark blue shoulder armor. He had on dark denim shorts that reached below his knees, with straps hanging between each leg. He had on yellow sneakers with black trim and black leather gloves.  
  
He put a hand to his head to cradle his pain. He had never been to this place before, he had never witnessed a sport such as he just had. He couldn't remember anything, but was released from the infirmary on the grounds of outward appearance.  
  
He walked down the street alone, not knowing where he was. The city stretched into the sky above him, and there were lights everywhere. He had never seen a city such as this, it was much grander than Midgar, the only name he could remember. He walked along, looking up at the gray sky. Occasionally he bumped in to people, not paying attention to where he was going.  
  
Someone was on his mind. He could feel her presence like a welcoming reminder, but he didn't know whom she was. There was someone else too, someone he felt that he loved, from another time, another world but he couldn't remember her name. He continued to walk, hoping to find some sort of clues to his identity, or the identity of the women he seemed to love.  
  
He stopped at a large building and looked up at it. He could see a glass dome over the roof and felt like going inside. He wasn't asked for a ticket, the man at the gate just bowed to him as he walked in. He was led up the stairs and into a private skybox. He didn't know why, but he did like the attention he seemed to be getting. Everyone else knew who he was, so why didn't he?  
  
He sat down in a large chair and looked around the luxurious room. Nothing. There was no one in there besides him. There was a buffet set up in the kitchen area, but other than that the room was empty aside from the furniture. He stood up and walked to the glass wall, pressing his palms and face against it to look out. He was definitely in a concert hall, but who was singing? There was no one in the stands and he knew that he must be well early. Maybe more people would show up to his room and help him to better understand whom he was.  
  
  
  
She opened her eyes as if from a daydream. She looked around at her unfamiliar settings. She was leaning against a bar, with her head propped up on her hand. She had never been a drinker, but now she found herself behind the bar, like she worked there or something. She felt a cool draft wrap around her legs and she looked down. These weren't her clothes. She felt naked and tugged at the hem of her skirt.  
  
She was wearing a very short black leather mini-skirt. She had on a white tank top that fell just a few inches above her belly button. Black suspenders stretched over her shoulders and attached to her belt. She had black and red gloves that stretched up over her elbows, with a metal plate over her left elbow. She had on red hiking boots, another metal plate on her left one. She went to flip her hair over her shoulder. It was tied at the bottom into a low ponytail, unlike she was used to.  
  
Where was she? Who was she? She looked out across the bar, eyeing the patrons as they stared back at her. She didn't know them, but for some reason, they knew her. One came up and asked for a drink. She didn't know what to do. She had never heard of that drink before, let alone ever made one.  
  
"Lemme get a Dying Midgar." The man said. She looked at him with a confused look on her face. He noticed it and frowned. "Hey, Tifa, you okay? You seem a little...different today. You get hit on the head or something?" The man asked.  
  
Tifa? She didn't know anyone named Tifa. She looked around to her sides and realized that she was the only one standing there, and that he must be talking to her. She started to breath heavily as she turned from him, trying to think of what to do. She looked beneath the bar frantically for a drink list, trying to figure out what was needed to make such a drink.  
  
She decided to give up and tell him she didn't know how. She stood up and smiled at him nervously, slamming her palm against the counter in a panic. He looked at her with a confused expression on his face. She couldn't tell him anymore, something inside her just wouldn't allow her to admit defeat. She began to grab random bottles of liquor and pour them into a glass, hoping that the end result would be satisfactory. She couldn't explain it, but that little something inside her seemed to know what she was doing. She finished the drink and handed to the man, who drank it with a grateful tip of the head.  
  
"Damn good, as always Teef!" He said. He turned back to his table but stopped for a moment, then stepped back up to the bar. "Hey, did you finally cut your hair? It looks good." He added nervously, and then slumped back to his table.  
  
She closed her eyes and smiled, lowering her head a little. She couldn't believe that she had just made a drink for the first time and gotten it right. She turned and leaned her back against the counter, looking at the shelves of liquor behind her. She couldn't remember cutting her hair, not recently. Where was she? She knew who she was, but she just couldn't remember her name. She looked out of the small window at the end of the bar.  
  
Dirt streets and old garbage lying everywhere. She had never seen such a town. She could see lights from a few houses around her but the whole area was dim, unlike she had ever known. Zanarkand, a name that popped into her head, but she didn't know its meaning. Zanarkand had lots of lights everywhere, and she had never heard of a town such as this ever existing.  
  
Suddenly she felt like closing down the bar, call it instincts. She alerted the patrons to her notion and they left, grumbling and stumbling about drunkenly. She closed the door and locked it, something she had never remembered doing. She leaned against the door for a moment, trying to take in all that had happened. She remembered...being with someone...but she couldn't be sure whom. She was...saying something, then she fell, and when she woke up, she was here.  
  
She felt a sudden headache and pressed her fingers to her temple. She closed her eyes as the pain flooded her entire head. She slowly slid down against the door, until she was sitting on the ground. Where was she? How did she get here? She knew that she wasn't 'Tifa', but who was she then?  
  
  
  
He was wielding a sword. It was the largest piece of metal he had ever seen before in his life. He couldn't believe that he could even hold it up. He was swinging it wildly with ease, much to his belief. He stopped and stuck the point of the large sword into the ground, and leaned on the handle to catch his breath. He looked around at his surroundings.  
  
He was in the middle of a large clearing in the forest. It was a place he vaguely could recall going to frequently, but he knew not where he was. He looked down at his clothing. He was wearing dark blue pants with brown boots and a navy sleeveless turtleneck sweater with a large brown belt and suspenders. He also had on brown and navy colored gloves with a metal bangle around his left arm and a metal armor plate over his left shoulder.  
  
He couldn't believe what he was wearing. He had never seen such strange clothes before in his life. He smiled to himself, an evil, sinister grin. It had worked. He could remember Vegnagun. He remembered activating it and pressing one lone button. He didn't know what would happen, but he had hoped for something like this. Somehow he had been transported into another dimension through Vegnagun. But what about Lenne? She had no clue what was happening at the time, so maybe she wouldn't even remember who she was. He needed to find her, to let her know who she was and what had happened. But how? He had no clue where he was or who he was now. He started to walk back to the forest.  
  
He instinctively found his way through the trail he had made earlier, though he did not remember clearing one. He found his way out to a city, a small city, with blue cobblestone streets and small cottages. He had never seen such a town, but he had to admit, it was rather quaint. It was the perfect place to strike up a residence with Lenne, to settle down and start a family. He just needed to find her. She could be anywhere on this planet, and it angered him that he would have to search.  
  
She should have been placed right in his arms, damn Vegnagun and its uncertainty. He needed to figure out who he was in this world, but how? He walked down the street, not knowing where he was going, but figuring that his body knew. As he walked he could hear someone yelling behind him.  
  
"Cloud! Cloud!" A young girl's voice called.  
  
He kept on walking, but couldn't see anyone else on the streets. Was he Cloud now? What a strange name for a person. Sounded kind of wimpy. The little girl kept calling out that name and finally caught up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"What's with you?" She asked angrily, bending over to catch her breath. She looked back up at him and glared. "Did you not hear me?" He shrugged.  
  
"I didn't know you were talking to me." He said. She laughed hysterically.  
  
"How many other Clouds are there in the world?" She asked. Again he shrugged as she looked at him suspiciously. "You look a little different." She said, scrunching her face to look at him. Crap, he thought, she noticed that I'm not who she thinks. "Wow you're wearing your hair down, that's it! When'd you start that?"  
  
His hair? That's all that's different? He couldn't believe it, had he switched places with someone who looked identical to him? If that were the case then it would be much easier to find Lenne. He looked down at the girl in front of him. Not Lenne. This girl was much younger looking, with short dark hair. She was wearing khaki shorts and a green tank top. He figured he should say something so that she didn't suspect something was wrong.  
  
"Today, I though I'd give it a try." He said, at last. The girl stood up, she was about sixteen.  
  
"Oh I see." She said, nudging him with her elbow and giving him a sly grin. He looked at her, confused.  
  
"What?" He asked. She giggled.  
  
"You want to look good for Tifa, don't you?" She said, placing her hands over her mouth and continuing to laugh.  
  
Tifa? He didn't know any Tifa, and he didn't care either, he just wanted to find Lenne. He looked off in the distance, behind the girl. There was a large airship hovering just outside of the town. He felt a strong knowledge of it, but he had never seen it before. Again, he decided to play along with the girl.  
  
"You caught me." He said, blushing.  
  
Why did he just blush? It was something he had intended to do, but it seemed to excite the little girl. Her mouth dropped open and a loud squeal came out, hurting his ears. She jumped up and down and clapped her hands together.  
  
"Oh wow, you like her? She'll be so happy! Oh my god, you have to tell her!"  
  
Oh crap, should he not have said that? Is there something between him and this Tifa girl that no one knew about? He had to admit that he felt a strange feeling for her, it must be from Cloud, but he couldn't be sure. He allowed himself to be led by the teenager onto the ship.  
  
"You ready for the reunion, Cloud?" A gray-haired man asked, he seemed to be the pilot of the ship and he was smoking a cigarette.  
  
"Uuh, yeah, sure." He said, awkwardly while scratching the back of his head. The teenager stepped up and chimed in.  
  
"He changed his hair for Tifa and he's finally gonna tell her how he feels!" She said with a wink. Again, he blushed.  
  
Whose life had he taken? A man with obviously strange friends and a childhood crush. He felt awkward, standing in this man's shoes, but it was the only way to save Lenne. He couldn't let her fade away into an afterlife like a normal person. She was too good for that. But to switch lives with someone of an alternate universe, that could keep her alive. He smiled at his plan. He did feel a little sorry for the people whose lives he and Lenne switched with. They would be returned to Zanarkand to die in their places. It was a loss he could deal with, as long as he would be able to live with Lenne. 


	2. Memories Reunited

Author's Note: Decided to start on this chapter since I have writer's block with all my other stories. Well this chapter should clear some things up for you. Enjoy!  
  
  
  
She was being waited on hand and foot. She didn't know the people around her, but they seemed friendly as they hurriedly applied makeup to her face. She looked around her dressing room. She didn't know this place at all. She saw her face in the mirror. Why didn't she feel like she belonged there?  
  
She got up and walked over to her counter and leaned across it, peering into the mirror. She stroked her cheek as she looked over herself. She...wasn't Lenne, but who was she? Memories were swarming around in her head, but she couldn't fit them all together. Memories...of a different world. She knew they were her memories but she didn't know what they were of.  
  
Bits and pieces of who she really was started to form together. Midgar, she kept saying to herself over and over again. If she could remember what Midgar was, she would remember who she was. Midgar...was a city, she knew that. But where was it? She felt like...she lived there. Yes, she had lived there but how did she get here?  
  
The women applying makeup brought her a cool glass of water, concern written all over their faces. She drank the water, and looked up again. She narrowed her eyes and looked deep into the mirror at her own reflection. She brushed her hair out of her face, it was so long and it was so annoying to be out, lying all around her, as thick as it was. As she brushed away her hair she accidentally moved her blouse a little. For the first time she noticed a scar across her chest. She ran her hand across it and stretched her blouse to find out where it ended. It stretched from her left shoulder to beneath her right breast. Where did she get it?  
  
She could remember...fire. She remembered...being sliced with a sword and then...fire. All around her was fire. She could see a village being burned to the ground, and an eerie looking man with long silver hair standing in the flames, his eyes glowing a deep emerald color. Her life flooded over her and she gasped, falling to the floor. Her maids ran to her side, trying to wake her.  
  
She woke up and screamed. She knew who she was, but she didn't know where she was. She sat up and looked at the women in front of her. She didn't know them and she backed away from them, into a corner. They stepped closer to her cautiously, with worried expressions on their faces.  
  
"Who are you?" She asked them. They looked at each other with concern, then back at her.  
  
"We're your makeup artists. What's wrong, Lenne?" One of them asked.  
  
"I'm not Lenne!" She shouted, pressing against the corner. "My name's Tifa Lockheart, I'm from Midgar!" She added, searching their faces for any sign of understanding. There were tears in her eyes and she grasped for the counter to ease herself back up to her feet.  
  
"No, you're Lenne and you're a famous singer who's about to perform." The other one stated, calmly trying to get Tifa to settle down.  
  
"No, I'm a bartender from Midgar, I own a bar there with..." She still couldn't be sure of his name. Part of her was still in Midgar but...she had a new role in this world.  
  
"Lenne...calm down, please?"  
  
"No! I'm not Lenne!" Tifa cried, slamming her fist against the counter. She looked into the mirror. Sephiroth had given her that scar.  
  
"But you have to sing, they're waiting for you."  
  
"I can't sing, I've never sang in my life!" She pleaded, deathly afraid to be forced on stage. The other two women with her closed their eyes and looked at each other.  
  
"We'll have to settle this later, right now you need to sing." One said as they each took one of her shoulders and gently pushed her out onto the stage.  
  
She looked out at the sea of people in the stadium. There were thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, all staring at her. Her body froze; she didn't know what to do. She looked around nervously and walked to the microphone. She picked it up and held it against her chest. She knew that she wasn't Lenne but...she was in her place so maybe, just maybe, she could sing. She raised the microphone to her lips and let the words flow from her heart.  
  
_What can I do for you?  
  
What can I do for you?   
What can I do for you?   
What can I do for you?   
I can't hear you_

_What can I do for you?   
What can I do for you?   
What can I do for you?  
  
Falling in the hazy borders of my heart   
I can see your face   
It's something like this   
Every now and then I don't know what to do   
Still I know that I   
Can never go back  
  
All the things I've seen   
In those hazy dreams   
Can't compare to what I'm seein' now   
Everything's so different   
That it brings me to my knees  
  
And oh, I know, the world of real emotion   
Has surrounded me   
I won't give in to it   
Now, I know, that forward   
Is the only way my heart can go   
I hear your voice calling out to me   
'You'll never be alone.'  
  
What can I do for you?   
What can I do for you?   
What can I do for you?   
What can I do for you?  
  
I can't hear you.  
  
And if I find the real without emotion   
Has surrounded me   
And I can't go on   
And you are there   
The moment that I close my eyes   
You come to me,   
"We are connected.   
Go on. You see,   
I'll never be—"  
  
And oh, I know, the world of real emotion   
Has surrounded me   
I won't give into it   
Now, I know, that forward   
Is the only way my heart can go   
I hear your voice calling out to me   
'You'll never be alone.'  
  
What can I do for you?   
What can I do for you?   
What can I do for you?  
  
I can't hear you.  
I can't hear you.  
_  
She ended the song with a smile on her lips. She had danced through it as well and couldn't believe her newfound talent. Maybe this wasn't such a bad world after all. She had thoroughly enjoyed herself. She smiled as the crowd cheered for her, giving her a standing ovation. She took a bow and was prepared to leave, but the band started up again. Another song? She didn't know any others but again, her mouth began to move and she couldn't control herself.  
  
_I know that you're hiding things  
Using gentle words to shelter me  
Your words were like a dream  
But dreams could never fool me  
Not that easily  
  
I acted so distant then  
Didn't say good-bye before you left  
But I was listening  
You'll fight your battles far for me  
Far too easily  
  
Save your tears cause I'll come back  
I could hear that you whispered as you walked through that door  
But still I swore  
To hide the pain when I turned back the pages  
Shouting might have been the answer  
What if I cried my eyes out and begged you not to depart?  
But now I'm not afraid to say what's in my heart  
  
Oh a thousand words  
Have never been spoken  
They'll fly to you  
Crossing over the time and distance holding you  
Suspended on silver wings!  
  
And a thousand words  
One thousand confessions  
Will cradle you  
Making all of the pain you feel seem far away  
They'll hold you forever!  
  
The dream isn't over yet  
Though I often say I can forget  
I still re-live that day  
You've been there with me all the way  
I still hear you say  
  
"Wait for me, ill write you letters"  
I could see how you stammered with your eyes to the floor   
But still I swore  
To hide the doubt when I turned back the pages  
Anger might have been the answer  
What if I hung my head and said I couldn't wait?  
But now I'm strong enough to know its not too late  
  
Cause a thousand words  
Called out through the ages  
They'll fly to you, even though we can't see  
I know they're reaching you  
Suspended on silver wings!  
  
Oh a thousand words  
One thousand embraces  
Will cradle you  
Making all of your weary days seem far away!  
They'll hold you forever!  
  
Oh a thousand words  
Have never been spoken  
They'll fly to you  
They'll carry you home  
And back into my arms  
Suspended on silver wings (oooohh!)  
  
And a thousand words  
Called out through the ages  
They'll cradle you  
Turning all of the lonely years to only days  
They'll hold you forever!!!!!_  
  
She couldn't believe that another song had managed to escape her lips. She felt tears in her eyes as she sang, and collapsed to the ground afterwards. Her concert was over. She found her way back to her dressing room and looked in the mirror again.  
  
She knew who she was and where she was from now but how did she get here? And why was she able to do things she had never done before? She wasn't sure, but she was kind of enjoying the attention. She was brought back from her thoughts by a knock at her door, which caused her to nearly jump out of her skin.  
  
  
  
He waited patiently for the performer to enter the stage. She seemed unsure of herself, but immediately he felt a strong connection towards her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen; her hair was long and thick almost down to her knees. It flowed all around her as she sang, her voice was angelic.  
  
He stepped up to the glass separating him from a long fall down to the regular audience. He pressed his hand against the glass, trying to reach for her. He still didn't know why he was here or why he had gotten a private skybox. He watched as she danced, her body becoming one with her voice as she flowed effortlessly. She turned to face him, or at least, that's what it felt like, and he saw her face for the first time. He knew her, very well and he suddenly knew who he was.  
  
Her name was Tifa. He had known her all his life, but she wasn't a singer, she owned a bar in Midgar with him. How did she get here? He was confused by the whole situation, but at least he knew that there was someone in this world he knew. He watched her intently as she performed, wanting to break through the glass and run to her. He wanted to hold her and kiss her. But for now, he had never felt more alone in his life.  
  
Her last song seemed to speak to him, and it nearly brought a tear to his eye. She bowed with a smile when she finished singing, and left the stage. The crowd was going wild, and so was he. He knew who she was, and he remembered his own name. His name was Cloud. He watched her walk off the stage and ran from his skybox. A man out front, an usher, who smiled and nodded, met him.  
  
Somehow Cloud knew where he was going. He wasn't who he appeared to be, but in this world he had the knowledge of someone else. He rushed backstage, as if he had been there a thousand times. He ran up to a door with a star on it and the name 'Lenne' on it. That was how Tifa had been introduced but...that wasn't her name.  
  
He knocked on the door and waited. He could see the paparazzi beginning to flood the backstage area, waiting for an interview. They were getting closer and closer and he could feel sweat dripping from his forehead. He didn't know what to say to them, or if he would be lost in their crowd. Thank God, he thought, when the door opened, and Tifa's bright smile met his.  
  
She pulled him in as soon as she realized who he was, and slammed the door behind him. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, all the emotions of her old life enveloping her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her in return.  
  
"Cloud!" She had exclaimed. She was shaking in his arms, and then she pulled away. "How did we get here?"  
  
Cloud looked at her, what she was wearing, she was so beautiful. He didn't know how they had gotten into this world, but he was glad that he was not alone. He had said her name when he entered, just to make sure that it was in fact, her.  
  
"I don't know." He confessed, hanging his head. He led her to a couch in her room and they sat down, holding hands. "I know who I am but...I have feelings of another person too." He added. Tifa nodded in acknowledgement.  
  
"Me too. I mean, look at me!" She said, standing up and stretching out her arms. "I'm a singer! I've never sang in my life!" She exclaimed, smiling. Cloud stood up as well.  
  
"I know, somehow I knew how to find you, I think I'm an athlete." Cloud said laughing and scratching the back of his head.  
  
"Really? That's amazing! They think I'm someone named Lenne. Who are you?" She said, tilting her head.  
  
"Shuyin." Cloud responded. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know how this had all happened. Tifa threw her arms about his neck again, pressing herself against his chest.  
  
"I'm so glad that...I'm not alone." She said as he wrapped his arms around her waist once again.  
  
"Me too." He said, stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head.  
  
  
  
She was cleaning the tables in the bar, she didn't know why, but she felt like something big was about to happen. She felt like cleaning herself up a bit, and she walked into the bathroom, catching her reflection in the mirror. She stopped immediately to look at herself. She placed a hand on her cheek and felt her skin.  
  
She was not Tifa. She was not from Midgar. She blinked her eyes as her memories came back to her. She remembered...being in Shuyin's arms, and looking at the guards standing in front of her, their weapons drawn and aimed. She looked at Shuyin, his skin was changing colors and he seemed to be fading. He smiled at her and she looked down at herself, she too, was fading.  
  
Lenne, her real name was Lenne and she was a singer from Zanarkand. Somehow she had switched places with Tifa. But how? Shuyin must know, but she didn't know where he was, or if he had even come to this world. She needed to know if she could sing, or if some aspects of her life were gone. She opened her mouth, but she didn't know any songs. She decided to sing a simple tune, but her voice was not as strong and clear as she remembered. No...she couldn't sing anymore.  
  
She could feel tears in her eyes and she lowered her head. Everything she had ever worked for in life was gone. She lowered her head and closed her eyes. This wasn't the life she wanted, but how did she get there? She heard a knock on the front door and turned quickly, startled. She wiped her tears and ran to open the door.  
  
"Heeeey!" She heard a large group of people call to her when she opened the door. She didn't know them but, in this world, she had the vague since of familiarity. She stretched out her arm and allowed them to enter.  
  
"Hey Teef!" The teenager said to her with a wave as she entered.  
  
Lenne smiled at everyone, pretending she knew them. She wanted Shuyin to be with her now so badly. She needed to see a friendly face. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than her blonde-haired blue-eyed love walked through the door. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and looked him up and down. He looked silly in his outfit, but he was there with her, nonetheless. She ran up to him like she always did and placed her hands on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she buried her face in his chest. Everyone in the room was staring at them, but they didn't care.  
  
"Did I...miss something?" A large black man asked, pointing at the two of them.  
  
Lenne pulled away from Shuyin, her eyes wide and glossy. He looked back at her, not understanding her disappointment. She looked at the floor and wanted to say something, but she realized that she was being watched. She turned to look at all the people around them, who were standing with their mouth's agape.  
  
"We need to talk." Lenne said, grabbing Shuyin by the wrist and leading him up the stairs, while the group remained transfixed on them.  
  
Lenne led him into her bedroom and closed the door behind them. She motioned for him to sit down and she sighed heavily. She didn't know what to say to him. She was so happy that he was there with her, but at the same time, she knew that he had something to do with this whole mess.  
  
"What did you do?" She said at long last. He looked confused, then stood up and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist.  
  
"I thought you'd be happy." He said, looking in her eyes and trying to make her smile. "I used Vegnagun to bring us here, so we can be together and live." He added, stroking her cheek with his hand.  
  
She didn't know what to think. If she and Shuyin were here then...where were the two people that were supposed to be in this world? She looked down again, not knowing what to say. How could he have done this?  
  
"What about Tifa...?" Lenne asked, looking up into his eyes. Shuyin looked away quickly. "...Shuyin? What happened to them?" She moved to try and get back into his eyesight, but he continued to look away. She placed her hand on his cheek and gently turned his face towards hers. "Shuyin?" She asked, like a concerned mother.  
  
"Lenne..." Shuyin began, looking at her as if to say he was sorry. "This was the only way that I could save you...Cloud...and...Tifa...they'll...they're going to take our place. They'll die, but you and I...we'll live."  
  
Lenne pulled away from him and turned her back towards him. How could he have done such a thing? To take two innocent lives and switch places with them, just to save her. It was kind of romantic when she thought about it, but nevertheless wrong. Her eyes darted back and forth, searching along the floor for something to say. Shuyin took a step towards her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.  
  
"How could you?" Lenne asked, resting her cheek against his arm. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her towards him.  
  
"I did it...for you. So that we could be together." Shuyin replied, gazing deep into her dark eyes.  
  
"It's not right..." Lenne looked down at her feet. She closed her eyes as the tears began to flow.  
  
She wanted to live with him but...not at the price of someone else's lives. She couldn't live with the guilt that two innocent people died so that she could live. She wouldn't accept that, even if it meant...losing Shuyin forever.  
  
"We need to go back..." She said, at long last, unable to look him in the eye.  
  
Shuyin lowered his head. He had wanted to save her, and he had found a way. If it weren't for him they would both be dead right now. Didn't she understand that? Wasn't she grateful? He couldn't be angry with her, she knew that she was right...but there was no way to reverse the process.  
  
"I'm sorry...there's no way..." He said, sitting down on the bed and placing his face in his hands. Lenne walked over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his forehead into her stomach.


End file.
